1. Technical Field
This invention relates to printed circuits, and in particular to an improved method of processing printed circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of printed circuit board are available in the marketplace. One specialist type of product is that used in the manufacture of radio frequency (RF) products such as microwave antennas for the mobile telephony network. This product is expensive because it is typically made from a laminate of copper laminated to a PTFE and glass fiber matrix substrate (PTFE: commonly known by the trademark Teflon). A ceramic is also sometimes included in the composition of the substrate. Manufacturers of this raw matrix material go to great lengths to ensure that the ratio of PTFE to glass fiber is accurately controlled within the substrate in order to control the RF properties of the material.
When a product, such as a microwave antenna, reaches the end of its useful life or is otherwise taken out of service, it has, until now been thrown away as waste. Recent trends in legislation have introduced incentives for recycling, often in the form of penalties for producing waste of raw materials. This has led to an increase in the recycling of products including the recycling of PCB's.
At present, the only recycling of old printed circuit boards has been the extraction of the precious metals from the printed circuit or circuit assembly with the remainder of the material being thrown away. Conventional wisdom is that the metal of or on the tracks is of value, with the other material simply being processed with other low-grade waste to be used in low-cost recycled products such as plastic pallets.